Device for extracting and for inserting bearings in a roller skate wheel

ABSTRACT

A device for extracting the bearings from a precision roller skate wheel comprising means for gripping the bearing while in the skate wheel and applying a pressure against the wheel to move the skate wheel axially with respect to the stationarily gripped bearing to thereby move said wheel away from the bearing and extract the bearing from the skate wheel. Said device also has means which insets the bearings in the skate wheel.

United States Patent [1 1 Nastasi DEVICE FOR EXTRACTING AND FOR INSERTING BEARINGS IN A ROLLER SKATE WHEEL l ll Jan. 8, 1974 Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney-Max R. Kraus ABSTRACT A device for extracting the bearings from a precision roller skate wheel comprising means for gripping the bearing while in .the skate wheel and applying a pressure against the wheel to move the skate wheel axially with respect to the stationarily gripped bearing to thereby move said wheel away from the bearing and extract the bearing from the skate wheel. Said device alsd has means which insets the bearings in the skate wheel.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR EXTRACTING AND FOR INSERTING BEARINGS IN A ROLLER SKATE WHEEL BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found that with full precision roller skate wheels the bearings therein have to be removed frequently either for servicing or for replacement. Likewise, the serviced bearings and/or replacements therefor have to be inset into the roller skate wheel. There are no satisfactory devices for performing this function quickly and economically without incurring damage to the bearing race, seal or spacer, or chipping the wheel bore. An object of this invention therefore is to provide a device which will overcome the disadvantages inherent in prior constructions and which will efficiently, quickly and economically either remove the bearings or inset them in the precision roller skate wheel without doing any damage or injury to the components of the skate wheel or to the skate wheel itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device with a roller skate wheel positioned in its initial position for the purpose of extracting or removing 'the bearing of the skate wheel.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken centrally through the device and showing the removal of the hearing from the roller skate wheel, the upper dotted lines representing the roller skate wheel and showing it in its initial position on the device with the gripping jaws in gripping engagement with the upper positioned bearing, and the lower brokemaway dotted lines showing the roller skate wheel moved to its lowered position, and when thus lowered the upper positioned bearing remains gripped by the gripping jaws so that it is removed or extracted from the roller skate wheel.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 wherein the gripping members are in contracted position and not in gripping engagement with the bearing.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2 but showing the gripping members after being expanded for gripping engagement with the bearing.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the lower bearing and spacer removed and with the wheel positioned for removing the opposite bearing.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the insertion of the two bearings simultaneously in the roller skate wheel; and

FIG. 7 is a view utilizing the plunger shown in FIG. 6 for inserting one of the bearings.

The conventional precision roller skate wheel, generally indicated by the numeral 10, is formed of wood or the like and comprises an annular body 12 having a central axial bore 14 with a concentric counter-bore 16 facing one side of the wheel, and another concentric counter-bore 18 facing the opposite side of the wheel. Between the counter-bore 16 and 18 there is an annular rim 20 formed integrally with the wheel which defines shoulders 22 and 24 on the opposite sides thereof. The central axial bore 14 is within the annular rim 20. It will be noted particularly with reference to FIG. 2 that the counter-bore 18 is deeper than the opposite counter-bore 16.

Positioned within each of said counter-bores is a bearing, one bearing being designated by the numeral 28 and the other by the numeral 30. While both bearings are recessed within their respective counter-bores,

bearing 28 is closer to the 'sideof the wheel than is the opposite bearing 30 to the opposite side. The bearings 28 and 30 abut against the respective shoulders 22 and 24 of the annular rim. The bearings are initially pressfitted into the wheel and are fric tionally held therein. The spacer 26 is held inside the wheel by the opposite bearings and when either bearing is removed the spacer falls out of the wheel. 1

This construction of a roller skate wheel is conventional and forms no part of thisinvention. The descrip tion of same is for the purpose of illustrating the operation of the device forming this invention wherein the bearings are adapted to be removed or extracted from the wheel and then either cleaned, serviced or replaced and reinserted into the wheeL For skaters, particularly professional skaters, the skates are formed with full precision roller skate wheel bearings heretofore described and must be kept in perfect working order, which necessitates their removal and reinsertion with respect to the roller skate wheel.

The device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, will first be described in connection with the removal or extraction of the bearings from the roller skate wheel. The entire device is preferably made of steel but could be made of other suitable material and comprises a flat base 34 having a central bore 35 within which is permanently affixed a short interlocking base rod 36 extending upwardly of the base. The interlocking rod 36 is of annular shape and the top thereof terminates in a stepped end having a flattened vertical portion 37 and a horizontal shoulder 38. Positioned on said bottom interlocking rod is an annular bearing stop, generally indicated at 40, having a central annular bore 41. The bearing stop 40 has at one end thereof an annular plate 43 which extends outwardly of the body of the bearing stop and which is sometimes referred to as a wheel stop. In the bearing extracting position the bearing stop 40 is positioned with the. wheel stop 43 at the top, as shown in FIG. 2. The afored escribed structure of the device is used for extracting the bearing and also for inserting the bearing.

The device shown in FIGS. 1- to 4 inclusive will be described with respect to extracting the bearings. It comprises an extracting assembly generally indicated at 44 and includes an annular extracting rod generally indicated at 46, bearing gripping means generally indicated at 48 and the rotatable means generally indicated at 50 for operating the gripping means. The extracting rod 46 has its lower end stepped as at 51 and shaped complementary to the stepped end of the interlocking base rod 36 for interengagement therewith when the extracting rod 46 is inserted into the central bore of the bearing stop 40, as shown in FIG. 2. The extracting rod 46 is thus vertically positioned and supported. The upper end of the extracting rod 46 has an inwardly inclined tapered nose generally indicated at 52 which is annular in cross-section. An annular shoulder 53 is provided at the base of the nose. The extracting rod 46 is provided with an internally threaded bore 54 for a portion of its length, opening at the upper end of the rod to receive a rotatable rod 56, the lower end of which is externally threaded as at57 for threaded engagement with the threaded bore 54 of the extracting rod 46.

Supported on the extracting rod 46 is an annular cupshaped housing generally indicated at 60, the bottom of which is provided with an annular opening 61. A portion of the exterior surface of the housing 60 is externally threaded as at 62, to which is threadedly secured an annular cover 63 internally threaded for engagement with the threads on the housing to secure the cover to said housin. The upper .end of the housing 60 is provided with a recessed portion defining a shoulder 64 on the inside of the housing 60.

F ixedly secured to the upper end of rod 56 is a knob 58 for manually rotating the rod 56. The bottom portion 65 of the knob 58 is of a reduced diameter to fit within the upper end of the housing 60 and the knob is provided with an annular groove 66 which receives an annular washer 67. The cover 63 has a central annular opening 68 through which the lower end 65 of the knob extends into the housing 60. With the cover 63 screwed to the housing, the knob 58 and rod 56 are rotatably supported and prevented from disengagement with the housing 60.

Before securing the cover 63 to the housing 60, the gripping means heretofore designated at 48 are inserted in the housing 60. The gripping means comprise a pair of gripping or clutching members 70 positioned adjacent the tapered nose 52 of the extracting rod 46. The two gripping members 70 are of identical construction and each comprises an upper head 71 which is approximately one-half of a circle, with a bottom skirt portion 72 which is approximately one-half of a circle. The exterior surface of the skirt 72 is concentric with the exterior surface of the head 71. The skirt portion 72 extends inwardly of the head 71 of the gripping member 70 and defines a shoulder 73 therebetween. The inside of each gripping section 70 has a semicircular concave portion 74' extending through the length of said gripping member and said inside surface is tapered complementary to the taper of the nose 52 of the extracting rod 46. As best seen in FIG. 2, the pair of gripping members or clutches 70 are positioned in the cup housing 60 with the skirt portion 72 of each extending through and below the bottom of the housing 60, with each gripping section surrounding the tapered nose 52 of the rod 46. The grippingsections are moved towards and away from each other by the position of the tapered nose 52 of the extracting rod 46.

By rotating the knob 58 and thus simultaneously rotating the rod 56, the rod 56 is either screwed farther into the extracting rod 46 or withdrawn upwardly thereof. Thus, if the knob 58 and rod 56 affixed thereto is rotated clockwise the extracting rod 46 will move axially upward or inward, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and as same moves axially upward or'inward the gripping sections 70 surrounding the tapered nose 52 of the extracting rod 46 will be caused to expand or separate by virtue of the tapered nose. By rotating the knob 58 in the opposite direction the rod 56 is correspondingly rotated, thus causing the extracting rod 46 to move axially downward or outward, and as the tapered nose 52 recedes within the gripping members 70 the two gripping sections will move towards each other, as shown by the position of the skirt portions in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows the skirt portions 72 separated farther from each other due to the expansion. As the gripping sections expand or move outwardly relative to each other, as in FIG. 4, the opposite skirt portions 72 thereof grip the inside of the bearing and when the gripping sections grip the bearing the bearing can be removed from the wheel by applying a downward axial pressure against the skate wheel 10.

For removing the bearing 28 from the skate wheel 10, the skate wheel is positioned on the extracting rod 46 with the bearing 28 surrounding the skirts 72 of the gripping members 70. The knob 56 is rotated slightly clockwise to cause the gripping members to move slightly outwardly to engage the inside of the bearing. The bottom of the extractor rod 46 is then secured to the base 34, as shown in FIG. 2. The knob 58 is then further turned clockwise so that the skirts 72 of the gripping members firmly gripthe inside of the hearing. Pressure, manually exerted or otherwise, is applied against the top of the skate wheel as positioned in FIG. 2 to cause the skate wheel to move axially with respect to the extractor rod 46. As the skate wheel moves down it will be stopped by the wheel stop 43, however, the bearing 28 will remain gripped by the skirts 72 of the gripping members 70 and hence the bearing 28 will be extracted from the wheel.

To remove the extracted bearing 28 from the gripped position, the knob 58 is rotated counterclockwise to simultaneously rotate the rod 56 with respect to the extracting rod 46 and cause the extracting rod 46 to move axially away form the threaded rod 56, thereby positioning the nose 52 of the extracting rod 46 downwardly in relation to the gripping members 70 to thereby cause the gripping members to move inwardly towards each other and as they are moved inwardly the skirt portions 72 of the gripping members disengage from the bearing member so that the bearing member is removed from the gripping members.

To remove the other bearing member 30 the same procedure is followed, except that the wheel is inverted from the position shown in FIG. 2 so that the gripping members will engage the bearing 30 and by the same action when the skate wheel is pressed down in relation thereto, the wheel will move axially with respect to the extracting rod 46 and the bearing 30 will be extracted from the wheel. Thus, the two bearing members in the wheel are each separately removed in the manner described. The spacer 26 which is positioned in the axial bore 14 will readily fall out or can be readily moved out of the bore when one or the other or both of the bearings are removed.

REINSERTION OF BEARINGS After the bearings 28 and 30 have been serviced or replaced with new bearings, the bearings identified by the same aforementioned numerals are reinserted into the skate wheel 10 in the manner now to be described.

One of the bearings may be inserted individually, as illustrated in FIG. 7, or the twobearings may be simultaneously inserted as illustrated in FIG. 6. For the purpose of inserting the bearing the same base block 34 with the fixed interlocking rod 36 is used, as shown in FIG. 6, same being identified by the numerals previously indicated. Also used is the same bearing stop 40 and wheel stop 43 previously described, same being indicated by the previous numerals. The remaining components used in connection with the removal of the bearing are not used and there is substituted an insert rod which is a solid circular rod except for the lower end thereof which is stepped as at 81 to provide a flat vertical surface 82 and a horizontal surface 83 so that it can engage the stepped end of the fixed rod 36 with the bearing stop 40 surrounding same, as previously described.

A plunger member generally indicated at 86 is used and said plunger comprises an annular body with a central bore 87 extending therethrough whereby it is inserted on the end of the insert rod 80. The body of the plunger 86 is provided with two different diameters. One section of the body indicated by the numeral 88 has a slightly greater diameter and is longer than the other section indicated by the numeral 89. An integrally formed ring or flange 90 extends between the sections 88 and 89. y

The stepped end of the insert rod 80 is positioned on the stepped end of the base rod 36. The bearing stop 40 is inverted from the position shown in FIG. 2 and is inserted on the insert rod 80 and positioned on the base 34 so that the bearing stop 40 is contiguous to the base 34. The bearing 30 is then positioned on the insert rod 80 so that it rests on the bearing stop 40. The skate wheel is then inserted on the insert rod 80. The plunger 86 is positioned on the insert rod 80 with the larger section 88 of the plunger extending into the other counter-bore 16 of the skate wheel. Before inserting the plunger on the insert rod the spacer 26 is positioned inside the wheel. When pressure is applied against the top of the plunger it will force the skate wheel 10 axially downward and cause the stationarily positioned bearing 30 to be received in the counterbore 18 of the skate wheel until the bearing abuts against the shoulder 24 of the counter-bore 18 of the wheel. This positions one of the bearings tightly within the wheel. To insert the other bearing 28 in the counter-bore 16, the plunger 86 is then removed from rod 80 leaving the wheel thereon. Bearing 28 is then positioned on rod 80 so that it rests on the mouth of counter-bore 16. The plunger 86 is then inverted and positioned on rod 80 so that the smaller section 89 rests against bearing 28 so that when the plunger 86 is moved axially on the insert rod 80 the bearing 28 is moved into the counter-bore 16. The bearings 28 and 30 may be thus inserted individually into the opposite counter-bores of the wheel.

For the purpose of simultaneously inserting two bearings 28 and 30 into the skate wheel, reference being made to FIG. 6, one of the bearings 30 is positioned on the insert rod 80 to rest on the bearing stop 40 and the counter-bore 18 of the skate wheel is positioned against the bearing 30. The spacer26 isthen inserted. The other bearing 28 is positioned on'the insert rod adjacent the opposite counter-bore l6 and the plunger 86 is inverted from the positionshown in FIG. 7 so that section 89 having the smaller diameter is placed adjacent the bearing 28. When downward pressure is applied against the plunger the plunger will first cause the upper bearing 28 to move axially into its secured position within the counter-bore 16 and when the bearing 28 abuts against the shoulder 22 of said counter-bore and continued pressure is applied against the plunger it will move the skate wheel axially downward to cause the bearing 30 to be inserted into the counter-bore 18. When the two bearings 28 and 30 are inserted in the skate wheel with the spacer 26 therebetween, the plunger 86 and the insert rod 80 may be removed as the skate wheel is ready for application to the skate.

The operation of this device is such, both in the removal and insertion of the bearings, that no damage is done to the bearings or to the bearing race, seal, spacer, nor will there be any chipping of the wheel bore.

I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a base, a stop member supported on said base, said stop member having an enlarged end at one end thereof, a rod vertically supported by said stop member, a skate wheel positioned on said rod and means cooperating with said rod and skate wheel where when said skate wheel is moved axially with respect to said rod and the enlarged end of the stop member faces upwardly it will serve as a wheel stop to be engaged by the wheel to limit the axial movement of the wheel when the bearing is removed or extracted from the skate wheel, and when the stop member is inverted it serves as a bearing stop and is engaged by the bearing when the bearing is inserted into the wheel.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which when the device is used for extracting the bearing from the skate wheel the rod operates expansible and contractible gripping means positioned on said rod, rotatable means in engagement with said rod for expanding and contracting said gripping means, said gripping means when expanded grippingly engaging the bearing of a skate wheel so that as pressure is applied axially against said wheel it will cause said wheel to move axially towards said base with said gripping means retaining said bearing against axial movement to cause said bearing to be extracted from said wheel.

3. Adevice as set forth in claim 2 in which the rod has a tapered end and in which the gripping means are positioned relative to said tapered end so that axial movement of the rod will cause expansion and/or contraction of said gripping means to either engage or disengage the bearing.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the stop member has a wheel stop at the upper end thereof adapted to be engaged by the skate wheel when the skate wheel is moved axially on said rod, said wheel stop arresting further axial movement of said skate wheel.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the rod has a tapered end, a bore within said rod, said bore being internally threaded, a rotatable rod extending into said first rod and in threaded engagement with said bore, a knob fixedly connected to said rotatable rod for rotating same with respect to said first rod to cause said first rod to move axially and cause said gripping means to expand or contract as said rod moves axially with respect to said gripping means, saidg'ripping means when expanded adapted to engage with said bearing to retain said bearing as said wheel is moved axially away from said bearing.

6. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the gripping means comprise a plurality of members positioned within a housing which is cooperatively connected with said knob so that said knob-can be rotated relative to said housing, and in which said gripping members have an internal surface shaped complementary to the tapered end of the rod so that as 'saidtapered rod moves axially upward said gripping members expand to grip the bearing and when the tapered rod moves axially downward said gripping members contract to release the bearing.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which when the device is used for inserting the bearing into the skate wheel the stop member serves as a bearing stop to support the bearing as the skate wheelis moved axially 7 I 8 with respect to said bearing stop so that the bearing is 9. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which the inserted into said skate wheel. plunger has an annular body with one section thereof 8. A device as set forth in claim 7 in which a plunger having a diameter greater than the opposite section and is positioned on the rod and is moved axially on said with an annular flange between the sections. rod to move said wheel. 

1. A device of the character described comprising a base, a stop member supported on said base, said stop member having an enlarged end at one end thereof, a rod vertically supported by said stop member, a skate wheel positioned on said rod and means cooperating with said rod and skate wheel where when said skate wheel is moved axially with respect to said rod and the enlarged end of the stop member faces upwardly it will serve as a wheel stop to be engaged by the wheel to limit the axial movement of the wheel when the bearing is removed or extracted from the skate wheel, and when the stop member is inverted it serves as a bearing stop and is engaged by the bearing when the bearing is inserted into the wheel.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which when the device is used for extracting the bearing from the skate wheel the rod operates expansible and contractible gripping means positioned on said rod, rotatable means in engagement with said rod for expanding and contracting said gripping means, said gripping means when expanded grippingly engaging the bearing of a skate wheel so that as pressure is applied axially against said wheel it will cause said wheel to move axially towards said base with said gripping means retaining said bearing against axial movement to cause said bearing to be extracted from said wheel.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the rod has a tapered end and in which the gripping means are positioned relative to said tapered end so that axial movement of the rod will cause expansion and/or contraction of said gripping means to either engage or disengage the bearing.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the stop member has a wheel stop at the upper end thereof adapted to be engaged by the skate wheel when the skate wheel is moved axially on said rod, said wheel stop arresting further axial movement of said skate wheel.
 5. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the rod has a tapered end, a bore within said rod, said bore being internally threaded, a rotatable rod extending into said first rod and in threaded engagemEnt with said bore, a knob fixedly connected to said rotatable rod for rotating same with respect to said first rod to cause said first rod to move axially and cause said gripping means to expand or contract as said rod moves axially with respect to said gripping means, said gripping means when expanded adapted to engage with said bearing to retain said bearing as said wheel is moved axially away from said bearing.
 6. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the gripping means comprise a plurality of members positioned within a housing which is cooperatively connected with said knob so that said knob can be rotated relative to said housing, and in which said gripping members have an internal surface shaped complementary to the tapered end of the rod so that as said tapered rod moves axially upward said gripping members expand to grip the bearing and when the tapered rod moves axially downward said gripping members contract to release the bearing.
 7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which when the device is used for inserting the bearing into the skate wheel the stop member serves as a bearing stop to support the bearing as the skate wheel is moved axially with respect to said bearing stop so that the bearing is inserted into said skate wheel.
 8. A device as set forth in claim 7 in which a plunger is positioned on the rod and is moved axially on said rod to move said wheel.
 9. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which the plunger has an annular body with one section thereof having a diameter greater than the opposite section and with an annular flange between the sections. 